The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Astec’.
The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new daisy-type Chrysanthemum plants with strong flowering stems, early flowering response, uniform flowering, attractive ray floret coloration and shape, excellent postproduction longevity and tolerance/resistance to pathogens.
The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands in October, 2007, of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number Col 12, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number Zl-1296, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands in August, 2008.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands since September, 2008, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.